How Pride 2021 continues to challenge me as an Ally

The month of June is recognised as Pride Month where corporations, and people, show their support for and celebrate with the LGBTQ+ community.

Are you in a Rush to Raise the Flag?

Challenging questions were posed by the community about the intent and motivation behind the display of the rainbow flag and I know it caused me to pause and reflect.

Rather than an an intentional, planned act of solidarity with the queer community, questions were being asked if corporate’s actions have become a reactive, platitude to show surface level support.

When we rush to do anything, we are more prone to making decisions based on bias.

Being cognisant of this bias is an essential component of any inclusive behaviour. For a moment, think about your own perception of Pride. Depending on your age, your gender and sexual identity, your race, your bias, your relationships with queer people, we will all hold a different perception.

An Opportunity to Learn

For some, Pride will be a raw reminder of the Stonewall riots of 1969, where police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar located in New York City’s Greenwich Village that served as a haven for the city’s gay, lesbian and transgender community.

For others, Pride may have the perception of a happy, global rainbow themed party or a celebratory parade where everyone is welcome and free.

For me this year I hold a different opinion than I have in previous years. That's because I've been learning and educating myself.

Traditionally I observed it as a fun, high energy "party season" for my queer friends to celebrate who they are, unapologetically. That's before I acknowledged the prejudice and struggle that's still being fought today. I regard it this year still as a celebration of all that has been overcome for LGBTQ+ rights yet it serves as a stark reminder of all that is yet to be achieved.

In Action Allyship Vs Performative Allyship

My deeper awareness this year caused me to think about my own allyship of the LGBTQ+ community.

An ally is any person who actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts that benefit people as a whole.

When I considered raising the flag on my own social media on the 1st June, for me it landed as “performative”. Pride Month is a month about more than just showing support to this community. It’s about shedding light on the issues, lives and achievements of queer people. Pride is an opportunity to be more curious and learn more about the everyday perspective as well as the systemic prejudice still endure today.

I chose a different action and throughout June I committed to diversify my social networks further by connecting with and sharing the stories from within the queer community that celebrated their love, their identity, their courage and hope along with their struggle and pain and oftentimes hard truths about their lives as queer people.

I learned more about pronoun use, was challenged by gender in language and met the Genderbread Person.

I learned that I am cis-gender and it's a privilege to have never questioned or been questioned about my identity. I sought out TV and movies representing LBGTQ+ content, characters and issues. I was sickened and saddened by the number of young lives lost within the queer community through abuse, drugs and self-harm. Check out Olly Alexander's documentary - Growing Up Gay. I was also encouraged to see my regular shows increasing LGBTQ+ representation (shout out to New Amsterdam and my favourite character Dr Iggy Frome played by Tyler Sean Labine.)

Lest we forget.

I write this blog in September 2021, a quarter has passed. Why write it now? As a reminder, to all of us, that Pride is only a month in a year. LBGTQ+ lives are lived everyday. Let's not forget them when we take our flags down. Let's also challenge our biases. Familiarisation, through the media, is happening now, thankfully and this will help but every individual is responsible for their own bias, behaviour and education.